title: Can research development bursaries for patient and public involvement have a positive impact on grant applications? A UK-based, small-scale service evaluation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasingly, research grant awarding bodies are regarding involvement at all stages of research, including prior to funding, as good practice. However, it is unclear how researchers should pay for this. Therefore, a pre-funding bursary scheme was designed. Up to £500 could be requested for involvement to develop a grant application for which user involvement is a key requisite for the funding body concerned. As the bursary scheme had run for 2 years, an evaluation was conducted to ascertain whether the scheme was effective for incorporating early involvement and in developing the grant proposal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve applications were made of which all were funded. The mean amount requested was £432.91; with the mean amount awarded £308.72. The involvement activities conducted all used qualitative methodology. Feedback regarding the bursaries was positive: enabling refinement of the research question and design; developing dialogue between the service users and the researchers; and helping with team building, with service users sometimes becoming co-applicants or members of the steering groups. The bursaries provided a learning opportunity – about involvement for the researchers and about research for the service users. The ultimate aim of the scheme was to enhance the research grant. Regarding this, the involvement paid for by the bursary meant that applicants could complete the involvement sections with in-depth information and clarity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For a relatively small financial outlay, appropriate involvement was made possible at an important part of the research process which is usually neglected due to lack of funding. Recommendations for implementation made.
authors.affiliation: University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Dawn-Marie
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: Raksha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pandya-Wood
mesh_terms: D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships / Q000191:economics*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods*; D010358:Patient Participation; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: award; grant; impact; involvement; research design